Better Luck With World Number Two
by Blouta
Summary: After losing everyone he loved to Voldemort, getting revenge wasn't enough, and Harry Potter had nothing else to loose. He decides to search for a place where things might've gone just a bit differently...AU J/L, H/G, R/Hr
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Summary: When Harry Potter's world goes to pot, he goes to the market for a new one.

Prologue

***

"Harry Potter, do you swear your loyalty to the new Minister of Magic, Kinsley Shacklebolt?"

Harry replied with a brisk nod and a quick glance at said Minister.

"Very well, here are your Auror robes and your name tag which must be visibly on you at all times. Ministry precaution, you understand." Again, he nodded.

"I thought I had to take mandatory training, Auror-" Here Harry paused and looked at the man's name tag "-Tate?"

It was the first time Harry had spoken during the proceedings and Tate shivered at the calm, emotionless voice. He looked at the man before him, and saw the dead, dark green eyes and wondered just what - beside what the public knew - had happened to Harry Potter?

"Auror Tate?" Harry asked again in the same emotionless voice.

"Uh, yes. Well the Ministry decided that you don't need any extra training." Harry said nothing, but moved his dead gaze past him. Tate wasn't even sure the boy had heard him.

"I asked for it." Harry said and sighed, and even that was void of emotion. He nodded - he seemed to be doing that quite a bit lately - and took the robes and name tag. With one last glance a Kinsley, he walked out the door.

***

It had been a week since he had defeated Voldemort - sent that green beam of light at his worst enemy. A week and three hours.

And it had been a week and two hours ago when Bellatrix had suffered the same fate. He had finally avenged Sirius and for what? It was just like it had been for months - he had felt nothing.

For the past year, he had lost parts of himself. Slowly at first, but then it came faster.

He had seen Tonks blasted into pieces in front of his very eyes. That, he decided, and Sirius' death, had been the beginning. The final straw, though, was when the Weasleys and Hermione were locked inside the Burrow. That wouldn't have been so bad, except then, the Death Eaters burned it to the ground.

With his family inside.

Something broke within him that day. He decided to fight fire with fire and killed any and all Death Eaters he could get his hands on. And then he killed their leader.

But what had all that mattered? Now, he was the most famous person in the Wizarding world, but he was also the most alone.

Steadily, Harry walked inside a lift and carefully ignored the stares, shallow breathing, smiles, and hands waiting for him to shake. He looked pointedly ahead and counted the seconds until he was on the ninth floor.

He almost ran out of the lift.

Harry looked at the door that read "Department of Mysteries" for a moment and then walked through.

He waited patiently as he opened a door, found that it wasn't the one he was looking for, closed it, and watched the walls spin again.

Minutes later, he was finally where he wanted to be, staring at that blasted curtain. He could hear the whispers and nearly jumped when an actual voice spoke up, "Contrary to belief, the people who fall through don't die. Of course, as an Unspeakable, I shouldn't be telling you this, but you look interested. Do you believe in alternate universes?"

Harry, with his back to the woman speaking, nodded, curious to see where she was going with this.

"We have discovered that they go somewhere else, to another world, I guess. They shouldn't call it the Veil of Death, but the Veil of Transportation." She chuckled, clearly thinking that was a very cleaver thing to say. She didn't notice Harry stiffen.

"Could you find someone who has fallen through?" He asked, holding his breath and thinking of Sirius.

"Well, I'm sure you could, but there are so many different worlds that you could end up in - no one's been stupid enough to try it."

"But if you didn't land in the right one, you could - theoretically, of course - just walk back through and try again?"

"I suppose…" The young witch said, sounding uncertain, but Harry didn't care. His mind was racing with the possibilities. "Like I said, no one's been dumb enough to try it."

Harry didn't move, he was barely breathing, he had nothing to loose.

"It's not smart," The woman suddenly rushed, feeling that this conversation wasn't going in the direction it was supposed to, "You could end up in a world where nuclear bombs - do you know what that is - destroyed most of the human life. Or in a world where there aren't any wizards, only muggles. It's not smart." She repeated, her words coming out like a child's and desperation in her voice.

Desperation was something Harry could relate to. It was the first emotion he had felt in a long time and reared its ugly head, filling Harry with the desire to do _something_.

"Excuse me, sir?" Harry was once again brought back to earth and he listened to her closely for any more information she could give him. "My name's Tina and yours?"

For once, for the first time in quite a while, Harry took her offered hand, turned to her, smiled, and said, "Harry Potter."

He barely heard her gasp as he stuck his wand in his holster, dropped his auror robes, and walked purposefully through the veil.

It was much like floo travel, he decided, watching the swirls of places pass by him. He ignored the cold feeling spreading through out his limbs and instead thought about Sirius, smiling at the idea of finding him.

He landed with an "Oomph." and quickly took out his wand, holding it in front of him while eyeing his surroundings.

"Bugger." He exclaimed when he realized he was surrounded by men in blue robes, all pointing their wands at him and looking rather vicious.

"He just fell out of the veil, you say?" Asked a blurring blob of a man with wild, black hair. Harry frowned, realizing his glasses weren't perched on his face, and moved his free hand around, searching for them.

"Here," One of the blue robbed men said as he placed the desired object in Harry's hand.

"Thanks." He said as he slipped his glasses on, looked at the man who had spoken first, and fought the urge to throw up.

For there, standing in front of him was a very much alive James Potter and a very happy looking Sirius.

And that wasn't even the shocking thing. One would expect a Sirius who had continued living with an alive James Potter would look happy, young, and like the handsome fellow Harry saw in his parent's wedding pictures.

But this Sirius was gaunt looking, even though he had a mischievous sparkle in his eye and a smile on his wasted face.

"Harry?" Sirius whispered, as if saying it louder would shatter this too-good-to-be-real dream.

Harry, feeling completely safe - even with all the wands they had pointed at him - smiled.

He had found his Godfather.

Then the reality of the situation hit him and he suddenly buried his face in his hands and wept.

***

Just something I was thinking about, wrote it down, and put it out for all you fine folks to examine.


	2. Chapter two

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Posted: April 3rd, 2010.

***

It was nine o'clock in the evening and the Auror Department was empty - as was common for this time of the day - save for two men arguing heatedly.

"Just for a few minutes-"

"No."

"I just want some time-"

"No."

"This is ridiculous! I should be _allowed_-"

"No."

"It's my right!"

"_No._"

"_James! _He's my godson, damn it!"

"You have no proof of that."

"James-"

"I said no."

Sirius glared at the man in front of him, the man keeping him from Harry.

"I have every right."

James looked up, suddenly furious, "You have as much right as I see fit to give you."

Sirius clenched his jaw, "Then see fit to give it to me."

"I could lose my job if I let you do this."

"He's your _son!_"

"No!" James yelled, looking a bit wild, "I have a son. I will not replace him just because he's different."

It was like a slap in the face and once again Sirius was reminded that _his _James was dead.

"Please." He whispered, begging for perhaps the first time in his life. "Please. I - he's all I have left."

"He needs to be interrogated first."

"Interrogated? Did you _see _what he _looked_ like? He's been through _hell, _James, surely you can understand that!"

"You want to see him? Do you really?"

Sirius nodded enthusiastically, thinking James had finally seen the light.

"Well it's not going to happen."

***

Harry groaned and put his hand to his head, feeling the bump that wasn't there before.

'Apparently,' Harry thought sarcastically, 'A grown man weeping is still seen as a threat.'

After he had broken down - which, in Harry's mind, didn't happen - one of the Aurors shot a stunner at him. And with his luck, he landed on his head.

He sighed and reluctantly lifted his head off his hand to look at his surroundings. Harry was in a cell, and not a cozy one at that. His bed, he realized, was just a slab of stone and the chamber pot in the corner was the only other object in the room. The metal bars in front of him didn't look too friendly, either.

'If only the guys back home treated supposed threats like this, could've saved us a lot of trouble.' Of course, this meant Harry was secretly pleasedwith his current situation. A screech made him look up and instead of bars, there was large man.

"Suspect number 432-"

"Also known as Harry." He interrupted cheerfully.

"-I'm Auror Dent and I'm going to be the one doing the talking here, understand?" Harry eyed the wizard and decided he was going to have some fun with this one.

"Of course, sir. Please, take a seat." He smiled, patting the spot next to him on his oh-so comfortable stone slab.

"I thought I told you not to talk?" Dent asked menacingly after declining Harry's offer and choosing to stand instead.

"Oh, right. Must've slipped my mind, sir."

The Auror in front of him clenched his fists, clearly restraining himself from doing something Harry would call 'stupid'.

"Name, date of birth, and blood status."

Harry frowned, "What does my blood status have to do with anything."

"Ministry precautions."

And here he had thought this world's ministry was better than his own. 'Ha!'

"Harry James Potter, July 21st, 1980, and I refuse to answer the last question."

"You can't _refuse _to answer a question!" Dent exclaimed, jumping away from the wall he had been leaning on.

"No. I won't answer you because then that would be me encouraging prejudice. And I have fought against it since my first year." The fake smile that had been on Harry's face was gone now, replaced by an emotionless mask.

Auror Dent looked a little unsettled by Harry's response, "No matter, if you are indeed Potter's son, then I already have that bit of knowledge."

"Really? What if I'm not James' son? What then? Will your Ministry crumble because they can't place me in one of their classes?"

Something seemed to flicker in the Auror's eyes, but it came and went far too fast for Harry to put his finger on it.

"Occupation?" He asked, continuing his interrogation.

"Defense against any evil I may, or may not find." Harry said seriously.

"Excuse me?" Dent looked a bit confused.

Sighing, Harry answered, "An auror."

Dent eyed him suspiciously, "Number of days on the job?"

"Er - I kinda just got the job the day I showed up here. By the way, how long has that been?"

"Three days."

Harry nodded.

"You said you have been fighting prejudice since your first year, how is that?"

Harry knew the question would be brought up, but to be honest, he wasn't entirely prepared for it.

He took a shuddering breath before uttering one word, "Voldemort," with so much hatred that the man in front of him shrunk a little and quickly turned away.

***

James Potter walked with purpose through the Atrium and finally came to the Apparition point. Thinking 'Potter Manor', he disappeared.

'What am I going to tell Lily?' He asked himself as he reached the massive doors to his home. With a long, deep sigh, he opened the door and was greeted by the familiar scents of home. He could smell dinner wafting from kitchen and his younger children shrieking over who got to play the game next upstairs.

"Hello, dear." Lily said, giving him a smile and a peck on the lips, "Dinner's almost ready and you get the honors of calling the hooligans down to eat."

He grinned, making it as real as he possibly could, and turned to his second oldest child sitting at the kitchen counter, "Livy, can you set the table?"

"You know, Dad, you could've just said, 'your mother and I need to talk'." Livy smiled her 100 watt smile and flipped her auburn hair over her shoulders, making her way out of the kitchen.

James wrapped his arms around Lily's waist, "Listen, lily, I need to ask you something."

"Huh, well it must be important, or you would wait till after you filled your stomach." She joked.

"You know how this new Sirius came from another dimension?"

Lily nodded while mixing the potato salad.

"There's another one."

She sighed, "Are you asking to let this person stay with us because I don't like the idea of allowing a stranger into our home. We have our children to protect, James."

James nervously ran his hand through his hair, "I know! But this, this is different."

"You know how I feel about keeping this 'new' Sirius around. It's wrong. We had - still have - a Sirius of our own. Just because he disappeared doesn't mean we should replace him. He'll come back, you'll see. And I don't feel comfortable with the idea of replacing yet another person." She said, pleading with him.

"This _person _is the boy he's been looking for this whole time." He waited anxiously for Lily to understand what - and who - he meant.

She looked at him slowly, her expression changing from irritation to grief. "Harry?" she whispered.

"He's clean. I had Dent check him out. He's lost everything, Lily, _everyone._" James took a deep breath, "He also killed Voldemort."

"Meaning this isn't just about us, that we can't be selfish and ask them to go away?" Tears filled her eyes, "I don't want to give anything more to the Wizarding World, James, haven't we sacrificed enough?"

But even then, she sounded defeated, "Fine. Bring him home. But I don't want anything to do with them."

James nodded and dialed a number on his magic-enabled cell phone, "You're in."

***

Sirius sighed, leaning back against the stone wall and shooting anxious looks at his broken godson. This was not what he had been expecting.

After lazily waving the guard - Dent, if he remembered correctly - away and stepping into the cell, he had thought that Harry would run up to him - hug him - anything! But he didn't and the frustrating silence lingered between them like a plague.

Finally deciding that the direct approach would be best, he blurted, 'What happened' but noticing the anguished look on Harry's face, he quickly regretted it. He thought back to how this was so much easier when Harry was fifteen, even with Voldemort lurking in the back corners of the teenager's mind.

Hesitantly, Sirius wrapped his arm around his frail godson's shoulders, and hoped to God that he wouldn't pull away. At first, Harry was stiff, but then, he collapsed; folding himself into his godfather's arms.

"Everyone's dead." He whispered emotionlessly and Sirius involuntarily shivered, "Especially Voldemort. I made sure of it."

So his young godson had taken a life, and countless more if Sirius guessed right.

"I have a flat in London. We can go there now, if you'd like."

Harry mutely nodded and Sirius let go of him, if only for a moment and said, "I'm going to get your stuff. It'll take just a second and then we'll leave. Stay right here, okay?"

Fearing that the young man in front of him would break at the slightest nudge, Sirius quickly left, going to the holding area and taking the box labeled 'suspect 432' containing Harry's wand and glasses.

--

He set Harry on the couch, wrapping a thick blanket around him, and headed for the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Sirius watched as his godson nonchalantly looked around the small living room and he was suddenly glad that he had thought to give Harry back his glasses, but keep his wand. Harry was in no condition to wield that sort of power.

"Here," Sirius said, handing a warm cup of Britain's finest to Harry, and sitting down beside him. "Erm," He began, tapping the side of his cup nervously and glancing at the teenager, "It'll help. The tea, I mean." Harry nodded and took a cautious sip. Every movement of his, Sirius observed, was cautious.

"Sirius," Harry spoke abruptly, the word coming out hushed, "Tell me about them."

He didn't need to ask who Harry had meant, "James and Lily."

"Yes," But for some reason, he couldn't stand to look his godfather in the eye and chose instead to examine a cobweb in the corner, and if he tried hard enough, he could almost imagine a spider moving gracefully over it.

"They had more children after you. Jardon and Livy are sixteen year old twins and are just as much alike as they are different. And then there's brave little Kya, whose ten and always getting into mischief."

Harry motioned for Sirius to continue, not surprised that he had left out any mention of Harry. After all, he didn't need to know about himself.

"The Sirius of this world disappeared a year ago and hasn't been heard from since. It made talking to James extremely difficult. He thought I was trying to replace his Sirius, but I wasn't. I only wanted help getting into the Department of Mysteries so I could get back to finding you." Here, he paused, looking for the slightest hint of emotion on Harry's face, but he found none.

"Meeting Lily was even harder, for she didn't - and still doesn't - want anything to do with me. She insisted that James keep me away from her house and away from her children. Lily said, and I quote, 'By letting him into this home, James, you are betraying Sirius and giving up any hope of him returning!'. I'm still not sure how he convinced her to let me visit."

"I want to see them." Harry said, a frown on his face and his hands folded neatly in his lap.

"I don't think now's the right time. Maybe in a few days, but for now, you need to rest." Sirius said, getting up from the couch and handing Harry a pillow.

"Alright." With that, he stretched out across the oddly large sofa and fell asleep almost immediately.

"Goodnight, Harry." Sirius whispered before heading into his room and answering James' call.

"You're in."

Sirius hesitated for a moment, "He's asleep and I'm not going to wake him."

"Tomorrow, then?" James asked, sounding relieved.

"Tomorrow." Sirius agreed and then hung up. Now all he had to do was figure out how to tell Harry that his other self was at St. Mungos, serving a life sentence of insanity.

***

AN: Yes, I am saying that the Harry of this world was tortured with the Cruciatus instead of Neville's parents. How and why, however, will be revealed later. Along with what happened to the Longbottoms.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Posted: November 29th, 2010

At exactly ten o'clock am, Lily Potter woke up, got dressed, and went downstairs to get started on breakfast. It was Saturday and James had the day off for the first time in months.

Turning on the stove, pan in hand, she paused.

_Harry…Harry…Harry…_

It was all James had talked about the night before. And then, without even asking her for permission, he told her that _Harry _was coming over today. To say Lily was furious was an understatement.

Who were they, this Sirius and Harry from another universe (that alone sounded ridiculous) to think that they could just walk into her life and set themselves down permanently?

Lily had a Sirius of her own, it didn't matter that he was…absent. And she had a Harry of her own, too. Life wasn't about going to the store and shop for a new best friend and son just because the ones you got didn't turn out the way you liked.

And that's why she felt it was so wrong.

First Sirius and now this person who was probably expecting her to call him her son.

Well, it wasn't going to happen.

Sirius woke with a jolt. Nearly jumping out of bed and shoving a pair of sweats on as if his life depended on it. He thought back to yesterday's events and hoped beyond hope that it actually happened and wasn't just a hallucination. (Not that Sirius Black ever had any hallucinations)

He yanked the door of his bedroom open and stopped when he smelled breakfast. Surprised, he walked into the small kitchen and saw Harry moving around it like it was most natural thing in the world.

Harry looked up and smiled, "Its been a long time since I had anyone to make food for." He almost snickered at the inside joke.

He handed Sirius his plate, "Erm, thanks." Sirius watched his godson warily, remembering the battered teenager from yesterday and wondering when he was going to show up.

"What?" Harry asked uneasily when Sirius stopped eating and stared at him.

"Nothing."

"I'm not mental." Harry stated.

"I never said you were." Sirius picked up his fork and tried to summon the will to eat.

"You were thinking it."

"I-"

"You were. Don't deny it. Listen," He quickly gulped down the rest of his pumpkin juice and took a deep breath, "I know I seemed a bit loony yesterday, but I'm not always like that. Most of the time I don't even feel anything. I don't _want _to feel anything." He winced at how cowardly that sounded.

"Harry-"

"No, no let me finish. I've never ran from anything in my life. But…after losing so much, I decided that by not feeling anything, I can get up every morning and at least _try _to act like my life hasn't changed. You, of all people, should understand where I'm coming from."

The kitchen was silent and Sirius looked away. He wasn't entirely sure if should answer that with a yes or a no. Was it even a yes or no question? He sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

Sirius opened his mouth to say something right as his cell started ringing. He glanced at the ID and mentally winced. "What?" He asked, answering the phone impatiently.

"Everyone's ready. Are you coming?" James' said, sounding tired.

"You told the kids?" Sirius was surprised. He had thought that James would've sent them away for the day.

An exasperated sigh came from the other end, "We told Jardon and Livy, but we decided to send Kya to the Weasleys."

Sirius smiled slightly, amazed that he had guessed half right. "How did they take it?"

"They weren't the least bit surprised. And I know why. We found a pair of extendible ears stuffed under the couch."

Sirius chuckled but quickly stopped when he saw the look on Harry's face. 'The loo' Harry mouthed before walking away.

Sirius sighed, knowing he should get off the phone and help Harry, but not sure he wanted to be thrown into the teenager's personal hell.

"You have to go?" James asked, seeming to know what was going on.

"Yeah. We'll be there soon."

"James! I'm not answering that door on my own!" Lily yelled, glad to get some of her pent up anger out.

"Mum? What if he doesn't like us?" Lily turned to see her oldest daughter tugging at the hem of her shirt, her twin brother standing nervously beside her.

"What if _you _won't like _him_?" Lily asked bitterly and a bit challengingly.

Livy scowled, "If his parents are dead, then him meeting us has to be just as painful as us meeting him, Mum. Think about that."

Jardon nodded his agreement before heading toward the entry hall.

Lily sighed, wanting so much to not let her daughter's words effect her cold demeanor, but knew she was fighting a losing battle.

"Sirius." James said without much emotion.

"James." Sirius responded much the same way. He looked behind James to see his two eldest standing behind him with Lily farther back. Sirius stepped to the side, revealing a teenage copy of James with haunted green eyes.

"Mr. Potter." Harry said quietly, holding out his hand for James to shake. James felt his heart break a little, seeing this beaten boy, barely a man, in front of him. He clasped Harry's hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Mrs. Potter." Harry said, but this time, he didn't hold his hand out. He was barely holding tears back as he remembered the last time he'd heard the woman in front of him. _Not Harry! Not Harry! Please - I'll do anything! _

"Erm, I'm Harry." He whispered, "Its an honor to meet you both."

Lily paused, not entirely sure what to say. This wasn't what she had been expecting. She was, for some reason, expecting a haughty teenager believing that they should love him just because. A lot like how she remember James at Hogwarts. But not this, this broken, quiet man who was more like a child who needed to be held. She briefly caught Sirius' gaze and saw the man put his arm protectively around Harry's shoulders.

"This," She started, but stopped to clear her throat, "is Livy and Jardon. They're twins." She winced, knowing she was pointing out the obvious. "Um, shall we head to the dinning room for lunch?"

They silently made their way to the dining room and Harry's lips turned up a bit at the Gryffindor colors around the room. He made sure to sit next to Sirius - away from the rest of the family.

"So…H-Harry." James paused as Lily started handing out the plates. He didn't miss the way her hand shook when she handed Harry his. "What is it that you like to do?"

Harry frowned, it sounded more like an interview question than conversation at a 'family' reunion. "Quidditch, sir."

Sirius smiled proudly, "On the Gryffindor team his first year."

James was obviously impressed, while Lily looked like she'd eaten something sour. The twins glanced at Harry in awe.

"Not even two minutes into the conversation and we're already talking about Quidditch." Lily said, pointedly looking at James to change the subject. But then, eyeing Harry and his happiness at finding something they could all talk about while not directing making him the subject, she added, "How did you make the team so early?"

"It was the day of our broom riding lesson and Neville had fallen off his and broken his wrist." He noticed how the adults in the room shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his friend.

"Madam Hooch immediately took Neville to the hospital wing, threatening anyone who so much as dared to hover over the ground with automatic expulsion. He dropped his remembrall in the process and when Malfoy tried to steal it, I challenged him, asking him to hand it over. He threw it, hoping I would get caught." Harry smiled at the irony.

"I got caught alright, by Professor McGonagall. Instead of getting in trouble, she gave me a spot on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, as seeker."

"That's amazing! You must've been pretty good if Minerva signed you up without any detentions for breaking the rules." James said, sitting straighter in his and giving Harry his full attention.

"Malfoy?" Livy asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion. "Draco Malfoy?"

Harry nodded, glaring into his bowl of soup just thinking about the man.

"Why would Draco do something like that?" He looked up, surprised that she had called Malfoy by his first name. Why would she even ask a question which had an even more obvious answer?

"Yes. Draco's a nice boy. He's Livy and Jardon's friend. He's even been over a couple of times." James winked at Livy, clearly hinting at something more. Livy blushed and looked down. And Harry, who had just taken a sip of his soup, coughed, spitting the hot liquid all over himself.

"What?" He asked, angry and upset that a slimy, _snake _like Draco Malfoycould weasel himself into - into what exactly? He couldn't really call these people his family, now could he?

"I don't understand! Malfoy isn't a person you want to be around! He's -"

"I won't have you talking about him like that. His parents -" Livy nearly yelled, but was cut off by a livid Harry.

"Lucius Malfoy is nothing short of a bastard! He's a Death Eater, damn it! And while I don't have anything incriminating on Narcissa, I sure as hell can't say anything positive! And the only reason I even slightly put up with that git of a son of theirs is because he didn't want to do what Voldemort assigned him! But it doesn't even matter, does it? Dumbledore ended up dead anyway!" He was breathing hard, briefly wishing he had stayed in his own world where he didn't have to deal with naïve idiots. But he quickly banished the thought.

The room was eerily silent and everyone was looking at him, taking in everything that he had said. Sirius, who hadn't had a chance to ask Harry what had happened after he 'died', was shocked. "Dumbledore's dead?"

Harry nodded.

"I was going to say that his parents have made mistake, but they, too, are good people." Livy said quietly.

Harry glared at her, refusing to believe that Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy could ever be _good _people. As far as Draco was concerned, if this world's Potters were ok with associating with people like him and his family, he wasn't sure he wanted anything to do with them.

"I think I'll be going now." He quickly got up, searching for his wand, but then remembering that Sirius still had it. He would have to talk to him about that as soon as possible.

"Harry, I've met them. They're…different than the people we knew." Sirius said consolingly.

"I don't care!" Harry spat viciously, he needed to get out of here. He felt as if the wall were closing in on him and he knew he was close to hyperventilating.

"Harry, please, Cissy -" Harry snorted at the childhood nickname. People like her shouldn't even have a nickname! "is my cousin. Even back, eh, _home_, she had a good heart. She just feel into bad circumstances. Here, Lucius was never a Death Eater -"

"Oh, I hardly believe that!" Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm down his racing heart. There wasn't any need to get mad at Sirius, no matter how irrational he was behaving. _"Do you miss them, Potter? It's only been a few minutes!" Lucius taunted, all the while laughing. Harry glanced behind Malfoy, seeing black smoke rise - higher and higher - from a pile of wood, all that was left of the Burrow. Never before had Harry felt such hate pulsing through his veins, begging to be let out and get vengeance on the man responsible for Harry's misery. His _family's _misery. The thought of them burning alive…_

"Harry!" Sirius shook his godson's shoulders, trying to get a reaction out of him.

"Wh-What?" He tried to say, but it came out a jumbled mess. He felt panic rising in him as he realized he couldn't open his eyes and his mouth felt full of cotton. _What's wrong with me? _Harry thought, trying futilely to fill his lungs with air.

He had the vague feeling of being carried by someone. Sirius, perhaps?

"Where did you go, just now? Are you alright? You're paler than parchment. Lily!" Harry distantly realized that Sirius had set him down on something soft. He assumed a couch.

_Breathe in, breathe out. Come on, Harry, you've been through worse!_

"I think he's having a panic attack." Lily sighed, "I wish I knew for sure. Maybe we should take him to St. Mungos?"

"No," Sirius said forcefully, "He hates hospitals."

"Alright, how about from now on until we get this all sorted out, there'll be not talk about the Mal - _them _in this house, understood?"

"But mum, Draco's coming over to play Quidditch tomorrow!"

"Jardon, obviously that can't happen now. Do me a favor and let him know? Go on."

_He can come. Your family can talk to whoever they want to talk to. I don't plan on staying here! _Harry tried to yell but he could not. _She's making it sound like I'm moving in!_

He heard someone's footstep come near him, clacking louder and louder with each nearing step. He held back a groan at the sound as he noted that he now had a throbbing headache.

"Here, this will help." Lily said, genuine concern in her voice. There was a moment of complete silence and then he felt a cold cloth on his forehead. Harry wished that he could thank her.

"Livy? Can you get the calming draught in the cupboard? And I think a dreamless sleep potion would work wonders right about now."

Harry sighed in relief as the painful memories faded away and he fell into darkness.

"I don't know what to do with him. I'd apologize for his actions, but knowing where he's coming from, I won't. That, and he'd have my head if he knew. Something about 'if I wanted to apologize, I would've done it myself'. Bloody stubborn, that one." Sirius was currently pacing in the Potter's living room, with Lily and James sitting in front of him. The twins were in the upstairs guestroom, watching Harry sleep. They were to alert the adults (Sirius first and foremost) when he woke up. Hard to do under all the potions and protective charms he was under, but Sirius knew Harry was a special child. Not amount of magic could save him from himself.

"Sirius, you can stop worrying. Harry needs rest and that's just what he getting."

Sirius looked at James and smiled, clearly showing that he thought James delusional. "You wouldn't understand, would you? Just in the short time that I had known him, which was just over two years, mind you, Harry had experienced more horrors and confrontations from Voldemort than most men twice, if not three times his age."

The Potters looked skeptical, "He was at Hogwarts. Voldemort could not reach him."

Sirius shook his head as the naïve couple in front of him. They had seen Voldemort's cruelty first hand. Did they honestly think that the castle walls would stop the monster from getting what he wanted most? No.

They were blinded by hope and 'all things good'. In Sirius' book, that made them stupid. Hope and trust had killed his family and given him a life sentence to Azkaban. He would not be so thoughtless again.

"In his first year, Harry faced Voldemort and won. The same happened his second. I won't disillusion you. It wasn't easily and it did take it's toll on him. As I was not there during all this, I do not have all the details. His third year, he faced over a hundred dementors, unfortunately, I was the reason for this. Harry's fourth year was disastrous, from beginning to end.

"He saw his first, and I'm quiet sure not his last, death. A fellow student name Cedric Diggory." Lily gasped, she knew the Diggory boy! She had taught him.

Sirius ignored the interruption as if it hadn't happened, "He witnessed Voldemort's rebirth." He had told the Potter's that Voldemort had fallen sixteen years ago, although he didn't see fit to tell them how.

"And fought him. He almost died." Sirius whispered, eyes clenched shut as he remember Harry telling Dumbledore and himself what he had been through that night.

"_Priori Incantatem." _

"But that means -" Lily started but Sirius finished for her.

"Yes, Harry and Voldemort's wands have the same core. A feather from Fawkes. The connection saved him.

"He's also a Parselmouth," He noticed that James and Lily looked more surprised than disgusted, the opposite of what he had been expecting.

"Harry's been through a lot and I want nothing more than to be there for him. I've failed him most of his life, I want to make things right."

Inspiration for this chapter came from What is Right: Year One by Emma Lipardi, check if out if you haven't already.

I know its been a while, but I kinda lost interest. Hope its still good.


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